Retractable water propeller for airships



March 21, 1939. w L. BARCLAY 2,151,004 RETRACTABLE WATER PROPELLER FORAIRSHIPS rim 1 v .1- 3 .Y'EY' N L I 3 J J M wl-Lum L. bAlzcLAY GttomcgJmxntor March 21, 1939. w BARCLAY 2,151,004

RETRACTABLE WATER PROPELLER FOR AIRSHIPS Filed April 5, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 2 [ff-g 5 4. Zhwmtor: WILLIAM L. BARCLAY (Ittomeg PatentedMar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES RETRACTABLE WATER AIRSHIP PROPELLER FOR SWilliam L. Barclay, Arlington, Va. Application April 5, 1938, Serial No.200,255

8 Claims.

This invention pertains to hydroplanes and is concerned most directlywith flying ships or seaplanes.

To facilitate efficient and economical naviga- 5 tion of seaplanes uponthe surface of water, it has been provided with an auxiliary or 1 waterpropeller which may be retracted into the hull when not in use.

But this progress has not fully solved the problem of surface navigationof seaplanes. Eflicient marine navigation requires the use of a keel orcenter-board to increase the lateral resistance of the hull. This needis particularly great because 1.) of the inherent nature of hydroplanes.

A corollary requirement is that the keel or stabilizing means must notdetract from the streamline efficiency of the hull in taking off,landing or in the air.

It might be said, therefore, that the practical solution of the problemoutlined above is the essence of the objects of the present invention.

A principal object of the invention is to provide the hull of a seaplanewith a retractable water 35 propeller and retractable keel orstabilizing means.

Among the other important purposes of this invention is the provision ofmeans for retracting the propeller and stabilizing means at the 0 sametime.

3 droplane hull.

In addition to these, other objects which'the invention comprehends willappear from the enof the invention.

l Reference will now which like characters lar parts.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a present day flying s p;

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary plan view of be made to the drawings inof reference designate simithe application of the invention thereto, andis I plane bottom I2 with successive steps I4 and I 6 is illustrated inFig. l.- The hull I 0 tapers rearwardly'from the steps l4 and [6 to atail portion [8. The ship generally is completed by'wings such as 20 andair-propelling motors like 22.

In the lower section of the hull l0, within that joint 28 to a tailshaft29 extending from a conventional change speed mechanism or transmission30. The transmission 30 is provided with reversing gear.

A prime mover 32, which is shown as an internal combustion engine,drives the propeller shaft 26 through the transmission 30, separatedfrom said shaft by a watertight bulkhead 34. ing through the bulkhead34, and arranged to discharge below the waterline WL of Fig. 1 is anexhaust pipe 36. I

To raise and lower the propeller shaft 26,'there is provided a largescrew 38 having a sliding shaft joint 28.

By way of illustration, an internally-threaded hand wheel 44 is of thescrew 38.

members 50 and 52 carried by the hull i0 (Fig. 2). observed in Fig. 3that the screw through the collar 46 and hand wheel 44.

pair of keel- With the bulkhead 34 ing members 54 and 56 provide acompartment or housing 6| for the propeller 24 and its shaft 26.

and step IS the stabiliz- I bers l and ll elevation; they may have thesection which the drawings show. It is preferred to place them inboardof the bottom I! and parallel. with the propeller shaft 26 extendingmidway therebetween (1'18. 4)

the middle of the length of the upper edges of the stabilizers N and 50,inwardly extending lever arms '2 and N, respectively, are firmlyattached at an angle such that they are substantially vertical when saidstabilizers are in closed position; Fig. 4 shows this relationship indotted lines.

A pair of operating links or rods 66 and I! are connected pivotally tothe free ends of levers 62 and M, respectively. Immediately above thepin connection 4! of screw ll and shaft bearing 50, an additional collaror sleeve 10 encircles said screw. By means of diametrically opposedconnections l2 and H, the operating rods .ti and 68 are joined to thesleeve II. The connections at both ends of the rods it and I are pivotaland of a nature to permit limited universal movement.

In this fashion the vertical movement of the screw II in response toturning of the screw wheel 44 is employed for the double purpose ofextending and retracting the propeller shaft 26 and opening and closingthe housing 6! therefor as represented by the stabilizing members 54 and80. A single operating means co-ordinates the actuation of the propellershaft 20 and stabilizing means 54, ll.

When the shaft 2. is in its normal extended position. as in Fig. 4, theangle betweenthe rods 86 and II will be small enough effectively toprevent any rising of the sleeve Ill due to side thrust on thestabilizing members 54 and 50.

In Fig. 4, the numerals l6 and II refer to the forward portions of thehull bottom i2 which mate with the forward edges of stabilizers M and itto form the closed compartment or propeller housing I which preservesthe streamline of the bottom II. The rear edges of these stabilizingmembers 54 and I similarly fit the hull when the compartment ii isclosed on the retracted pro peller.

Those skilled in this art will recognize the independent utility of thestabilizing means which this invention provides.

While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that various modifications can be madeinthe details thereof without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a hydroplane, a propeller retractable within the hull of saidhydroplane, stabilizing means forming part of the bottom of said hulland connected thereto for relative movement into and out of stabilizingposition, extending the propeller and for moving the stabilizing meansinto operative position, said stabilizing means being of sufficientextent to close the bottom of the hull adjacent the propeller andarranged to do so when in inoperative position.

2. In a flying ship having a hull with a hydroplane bottom, a waterpropeller retractable within the bottom of said hull, a pair ofstabilizing members connected to said hull on opposite sides of thepropeller for relative movement with respect thereto into and out ofstabilizing position, and means for concurrently extending the propellerand moving the stabilizing members into operative are generallyrectangular in side will be suitably reinforced and tapering orwedge-shaped cross-' peller shaft,

opening downwardly;

and means for' position, said stabilizing members being arrangedcompletely to close the bottom iacent the propeller when the latter isretracted.

3. In an airship having a hull for marine navigation, a downwardlyopening compartment in the bottom of the hull, a propeller shaft and apropeller retractable within said hull, a keellike stabilizing memberhingedly connected to the bottom of said hull adjacent the compartmentfor transverse swinging movement with respect thereto, and means formoving the propeller shaft and stabilizing member relatively to eachother and in synchronism to close the compartment when the shaft andpropeller are retracted and extend the keel-like stabilizing memberdownwardly from the hull when the propeller and its shaft areprotracted.

4. In an airship having a hull for marine navigation, a propeller shaft,a propeller secured to one end thereof, a prime mover having speedchanging means associated therewith, connections which include auniversal joint between the prime mover and the other end of thepropeller shaft, a compartment in the hull for said shaft and propeller,means for moving the propeller shaft from a retracted position withinthe hull below said hull, stabito an operative position llzing meansconnected to said hull for swinging movement withrespect theretoadjacent the proand means for moving the propeller shaft and stabilizingmeans into and out of opera tive position, said stabilizing means whenin inoperative position lying below theretracted propeller shaft so asto close the form a streamline continuation of the bottom of said hull.

5. In an airship having a hull for marine navigation, a downwardlyopening compartment in said hull, a propeller retractable in saidcompartment, a pair of rectangular, keel-like stabilizing members hingedto the bottom of said hull on opposite sides of its longitudinal centerline to extend longitudinally thereof adjacent the comcompartment and ofthe hull adpartment, and means for moving said stabilizing I membersinto vertical position depending from the hull and for swinging themtogether so that their free or lower longitudinal edges coincide and theouter lateral surfaces of the members thereby form a fair continuationof the bottom of the hull and close said compartment.

6. In an airship having a hull with a hydroplane bottom, a compartmentin said bottom a keel-like stabilizing member connected to an edge ofthe bottom opening for swinging movement with respect to the hull, saidmember extending longitudinally of the hull and vertically downwardtherefrom when in an operative or stabilizing position; a retractablepropeller and propeller shaft mounted within said compartment; and meansfor extending said propeller and shaft outside the compartment orretracting it therein and for swinging said stabilizing member into aninoperative position in which it underlies the propeller and shaft andforms a closure for the compartment.

'7. In a hydroplane having two steps, a propeller located between thesteps and retractable within the hull of said hydroplane, stabilizingmeans forming part of the bottom ofsaid hull and connected thereto forrelative movement into and out of stabilizing position, and means forextending the propeller and for moving the stabilizing means intooperative position, said stabilizing means being of suillcient extent toclose 15 the bottom of the hull adjacent the propeller and arranged todo so when in inoperative position.

8. In an airship having a hull for marine navigation, said hull beingprovided with a downwardly opening compartment in its bottom, apropeller retractable through the opening in said hull, means connectedto the hull for completely closing the opening of said compartment whenthe propeller is retracted and stabilizing the airship-in the manner ofa keel when the propelier is protracted, and actuating means for movingthe first means to a compartment closing position as the propeller isretracted and to a stabilizing position depending from the hull as thepropeller is protracted.

WILLIAM L. BARCLAY.

